Ed and Twentynine Palms, CA

Ed is 83 and still riding his motorcycle through the High Desert of California. He landed in the town of Twentynine Palms, just north of Joshua Tree National Park, in the early 1960’s. Every day for the past 34 odd years he’s started his day at The Jelly Donut, a local coffee shop. 

(When we met Ed we were purchasing our own pre-hike baked goods; an apple fritter can do wonders for fueling a several mile desert hike.) 

Ed has seen the town change over the years; some changes he’s been alright with, but he shook his head at many of them. For instance, he isn’t too keen on the buses of folks from the San Bernardino prison system who are often relocated to the area after their release. And, the economy has shifted as well, according to Ed, back in the day there was a “lady’s dress shop,” a Sears, as well as a slew of other large shops to meet your needs.
Although, as Ed was quick to mention, you can get anything you need in Twentynine Palms - “a massage, a pizza, a tattoo …. or a massage, a pizza, or a tattoo.”



Slipknot

A Tendency to Wander protip: when locked out of your vehicle, a shoelace and a slipknot can do wonders.

Valley Spring, Texas. May 2018.



Ballet Folklórico

The day before we left El Paso, we stopped into the mall on a multi-day journey to purchase a pair of socks. (Listen, we never promised all of our adventures were interesting.)

We entered the mall straight into a talent competition and stopped to watch a troupe of children perform a traditional Mexican folk dance.

Ballet folklórico has a long and complicated history, blending elements of the Indigenous, African, and European heritage of Mexico - as well as modern and foreign influences. And, as Mexico is a large country encompassing many traditions and histories, “traditional” dance varies greatly from region to region.

El Paso, Texas. April 2018


Los Lunes Ni Las Gallinas Ponen

There’s a saying we learned in Mexico, “Los Lunes Ni Las Gallinas Ponen,” which means “on Mondays, even chicken’s don’t lay eggs.” (In other words, don’t expect too much to get done on Monday - and that’s okay.)

But, surprisingly enough, this couldn’t be less true for us today - our proverbial chickens have been busy laying their proverbial eggs. We finally picked Saul up from the shop - and he’s ready to go. Today we put up new curtains, loaded up our “kitchen” with the basics and installed our fridge. Tomorrow we finish installing the solar panels, and, fingers crossed, we get back on the road on Thursday. 

Next stop - Picayune, Mississippi! 

Gainesville, Florida. April 2018.

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